Hearing

I would like to welcome everyone to this hearing and thank our witnesses fortaking time out of their schedules to be here today. Three weeks ago, TSAnotified the public it was removing backscatter AIT machines from severallarge airports and replacing them with millimeter wave AIT machines.TSA initially said it would redeploy those backscatter machines to smallerairports. However, TSA could not produce a list of smaller airports whenprompted by the Subcommittee. That's because the machines won't begoing to smaller airports anytime soon.

According to TSA, this is because the testing of backscatter privacy softwaresuddenly failed, and smaller airports don't have enough space to support thebackscatter machines without privacy software.

At this time, I'd like to insert a letter for the hearing record that I sent toAdministrator Pistole yesterday expressing concern about recent allegationsof contractor malfeasance that may have led to the failed tests that put us inthis situation. Without objection, so ordered.

I hope we can get some answers today on this extremely disturbingsituation.

Now, the reality is that TSA is squeezing backscatter machines into itswarehouse next to the useless puffer machines we are all too familiar with.Perhaps these backscatter machines will be put to good use eventually. Butthat's the point -- We just don't know.

In the meantime, the Subcommittee has some serious questions:

How did the testing of privacy software for backscatter go so wrong?

What level of oversight did TSA provide during the testing process?

Why did TSA move backscatter machines out of big airports before knowingwhich smaller airports to put them in?

And when will ATR by ready to install on backscatter? Congress mandatedthat this software be installed by June.

In addition, TSA still has not complied with a D.C. Circuit Court ruling toallow for public comment on AIT, nor has the agency agreed to sponsor anindependent third-party evaluation of AIT's health effects, despite bipartisanconsensus that an independent study would be beneficial.

To me, it appears we not only have a technology problem, but a significanttransparency problem on our hands.

Today, I hope we can get logical answers to some basic questions about AITand its future.

I also look forward to getting a better understanding of the coordination thatexists between DHS and TSA when it comes to assessing passenger privacyissues up front to avoid these types of costly, convoluted situations wherewe shuffle machines around and then stick them in a warehouse.